Commercial products are generally better made and more focused. It's because the world of business is more logical and people are not tempted buy garbage just because they like the actor in a TV commercial. It's about the bottom line, if the product sucks in any shape or form the business would not be a savvy one if it did not buy a better product and would go out of business soon. Not the case when you have disposable income and are not responsible to your shareholders. You're also in the same club as shoppers as Home Shopping Network channel. Products all of a sudden don't need to actually be good, they just need to convince enough of its targeted consumers that it is, be it because they're old and confused and watching TV at 3am or because they saw an ad that was pretty convincing.
Overkill objects for everyday life
411–420 of 732 posts
Re: Overkill objects for everyday life
#412Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maintenance is huge. A lot of products even in the supposedly "disposable" everyday category people buy for lower prices have maintenance instructions that would significantly increase their lifespan if actually followed. Misuse resistance means consumer products generally still work if you skip maintenance the manufacturer told you was necessary (which industrial products might not), but it may shorten the product's…
TIL I should read the all in one tab packaging and probably buy salt.
TIL dishwashers have a compartment you're supposed to add salt to? Is this the rinse-aid thing?
Re: Overkill objects for everyday life
#413> The average consumer is an idiot, so the bean counters keep milking them... They want pizzaz over functionality and durability. They want shiny stuff in a bigger box... The industrial, military and commercial market doesn't mess around. They want to purchase equipment that works reliably and performs to a specification. It's professional and their livelihood depends on it. It sort of self filters the entire market.…
I would highly recommend a 787 cockpit seat instead. Much more comfortable and adjustable than an ejection seat and also kind of futuristic looking from behind. If you mind the gap between your knees for the controls too much, look for an Airbus seat. They also have nice armrests because the stick is on the side.
A friend of mine is a chief pilot for an (astonishingly) wealthy family. One day he toured me through their 2-year-old Bombardier Global Express jet. I asked how much one of the somewhat flimsy-looking passenger-cabin seats cost and he said, "About $40,000."
He pointed out that virtually every single element in the $60+ million aircraft is engineered for flight and occupant safety, and to be as light as possible.
Re: Overkill objects for everyday life
#414Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's one of those things that sounds super fun when you're opting into it on a weekend. Much less so on a Tuesday night after a stressful day and your goddamn window won't close even though it's raining and you can't play music because the stereo only takes cassettes and you're not gonna listen to that one fucking Hall and Oates tape again and there's no heat and your neck is sore because the headrest is made of pl…
Well, I lived my entire 20s like that. Moved to Russia, lived in a Soviet era dorm, travelled to Vladivostok in a 4th class carriage etc. So it’s not theoretical…
For a while... until it isn't. I've been very poor, and I've experienced very similar things. Traveling everywhere by bike in the freezing cold.
I think there is a romaniticization of suffering. I also wanted to show my merit, my worth in some way. I had grown up in a very cushy environment, and I was trying to prove something.
Going back in time I would advise anyone against your belief. Anyone who reads this, please don't make the mistake of living a rough life for whatever inane purpose you can think of. It will not make you a better person. It is as stupid as it sounds.
Re: Overkill objects for everyday life
#415I will postulate an opposing view to TFA: Quality consumer goods are better in two key areas. First, they are replaceable. I don’t want a military grade mixer in my kitchen if getting a broken whisk or motor on it is going to require me hunting all over eBay for the specific part hoping it’s available. I was very excited at one point about the idea of getting a commercial dishwasher that can run a load of dishes in l…
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Re: Overkill objects for everyday life
#416Re: Overkill objects for everyday life
#417I will postulate an opposing view to TFA: Quality consumer goods are better in two key areas. First, they are replaceable. I don’t want a military grade mixer in my kitchen if getting a broken whisk or motor on it is going to require me hunting all over eBay for the specific part hoping it’s available. I was very excited at one point about the idea of getting a commercial dishwasher that can run a load of dishes in l…
Is this a joke or are you missing the point? The guy doesn't actually think that a fighter jet seat is better than a normal office chair in any practical sense. He just thinks these things are cool. Often, part of the charm is how incredibly impractical they are.
> The guy doesn't actually think that a fighter jet seat is better than a normal office chair in any practical sense.
Now that people are discussing it, I do want to find out if there are former air force pilots reading this who can corroborate or refute my hypothesis: I suspect long-duration mission bombers like the US B-52 and B-2 have pilot seats especially tuned for extended operational comfort, even more so than commercial airliners (passenger or cargo), and it would be interesting to test my hypothesis that those would make excellent office chairs for coders. Someone makes these from old pilot seats [1], but I'm specifically interested in pilot seats from airframes that routinely perform round-trip trans-Pacific routes.
I personally wouldn't routinely use such a seat for more than say 10-12 hours at a time, but if it is proven to still be comfortable after someone uses it for that long, naps for a couple hours in it, and uses it for another long session, then it is likely going to feel very comfortable to me. And maybe the safety harness will help me maintain my posture instead of having to remind myself every half hour to check it.
Re: Overkill objects for everyday life
#418This started off as a fun article about "what's the most overkill way I can get this?" and then looking for second-hand fighter jet seats just for the shits and giggles. I like that. But then it goes south from there, the author seems to believe that anything that isn't from the USA military must be crap: > Made in the USA from military grade [...] preferably a military supplier [...] This is the real thing, used by…
The irony here is that anyone who has actually served would gladly tell you that half the military grade stuff they had to deal with is utter junk.
After working on a farm, I updated my scale of measurement for tough/functional equipment. Used to think mil-surplus was the way to go, but quickly learned that what you say is absolutely true (at least for US gear). My new gold-standard is "farmer-proof". Was struck by the absolute beating that farm equipment had to take. Often it was being used in unexpexted/improper ways with minimum maintenance by operators with little or no training... (These all apply to military equipment too, but the farm acquisition process is purely utilitarian, as opposed to the nonsense that goes into specing and purchasing military gear). Equipment purchased on a farm is rarely the best available, but is always optimized to get the job done with the maximum possible usible lifespan.
Re: Overkill objects for everyday life
#419I appreciate the link and summary for McMaster-Carr[1]. It is so pleasing to use this site and it is simultaneously full of utility as they stock a wide array of fixtures and hardware that are difficult to search for elsewhere. If you place an order before noon (typically) the box of goods will be in your hands the next day. The user interface is a wonder. It's too good to be true. In fact, using the UI actually sadd…
To me, McMaster-Carr is the best website in existence.
The clarity of information presentation is unparalleled.
Re: Overkill objects for everyday life
#420Earlier quoted context omitted.
Migrating to a new machine is a PITA that inflicts misery for quite a long time. Maybe I’m doing it wrong?
Yes - have a backup of your dev machine to restore from. Apple’s TimeMachine is a godsend. I’ve never had a windows backup program work w/o a lot of fuss. An extra $150 external backup HDD is worth any crash at work, get your company to get it for every dev.
Activia True image can do the job on Windows.
Making a whole image on everything in your computer.